Baltimore Grand Prix moved to Labor Day weekend 2011

The 2011 IRL event also announces changes to the track layout

The first Baltimore Grand Prix will be run over Labor Day next year instead of Aug. 5-7, the city and Baltimore Racing Development announced today.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and BRD announced the move today, and also said they will make a series of improvements to the track layout to allow for more fan attractions.

"We are very excited to be able to schedule the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix for the weekend that we originally wanted," Jay Davidson, president of the Baltimore Grand Prix and Baltimore Racing Development, said in a release today. "We have always planned to market the Baltimore Grand Prix as a destination event, and we are expecting race fans from throughout the region and around the world to travel to the race. Having the Grand Prix on Labor Day weekend makes it even easier for fans to make travel plans to attend this action-packed 'three day festival of speed' in downtown Baltimore."

The firm said it worked closely with the city and the IZOD IndyCar Series in order to make the Labor Day weekend dates possible.

"I'm very pleased that BRD and IndyCar are now able to accommodate the city's preferred date for the Baltimore Grand Prix," Rawlings-Blake said in a release. "Labor Day Weekend will provide another full day for racing fans to enjoy all that Baltimore has to offer and with any luck, slightly cooler temperatures."

The new design of the course includes moving a pit lane from Russell Street on the west side of Oriole Park to the east side of the complex in the shadows of the historic B&O Warehouse.

With the new pit location, the race track will now circle Oriole Park and open up fan opportunities. Two new turns have been added on Conway Street to slow the cars as they approach pit lane. The new layout also features reconfigured turns 10 and 11, as the previous tight turns become fast, sweeping "S" turns back onto Pratt Street. The first four turns remain unchanged.